1. Field of the Invention
A vast majority of cooking burners that are used on gas cooking appliances have burner caps which have two (2) rows of openings around their circumference. The openings generally take the form of either bored holes or slots which allow a gas-air mixture to pass through. The gas-air mixture is ignited on the outer circumference of the burner. The gas-air mixture can be ignited by a timed spark ignition, Piezo ignition, or if the flames are extinguished by wind, automatic re-ignition.
Most current designs of burners contain an upper cap that contains an upper flame ring. The upper flame ring is constructed so that there is direct communication to an inner chamber of the burner. The holes or slots are designed and dimensioned in order to make sure that the sharpest possible burning flame is generated. The problem with the sharpest possible burning flame is that the flame has the tendency to xe2x80x9ctearxe2x80x9d away from the burner, and therefore become extinguished.
One solution to prevent xe2x80x9ctear awayxe2x80x9d is to add an additional narrow annular gap that is cut into the outer portion of the burner, which is left open under the flame ring. On two-part or multi-part burners, this annular gap is normally designed to feed to the outside diameter of the burner through either of the small slots or holes bored penetrating into the inner chamber of the burner. These holes or small slots are not usually visible on the assembled burner. The gas-air mixture flows through these small slots or holes in an annular gap between the base of the burner and the burner ring and exits evenly through this annular gap on the outside diameter of the burner and flows around the circumference of the burner.
The main flame ring, is actually defined by a number of individual flames running around the burner circumference, is maintained by this very small surrounding ring of flame. (which is also described as the supporting flame ring)
When a burner is operating on a very low setting, the main flames become shorter and cannot burn as sharply. At this low setting, the supporting flame is very close to being extinguished. In this very low setting, re-ignition of the burner flames is difficult if there is even a slight side wind.
The basic problem was to achieve re-ignition, even in the burner""s low position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,006 by de Gouville et al., dated Jan. 2, 1990 discloses a pilot flame gas burner and burner cap. In this disclosure, a pilot flame collar is created around the periphery of the burner without projecting appreciably from the peripheral surface of the burner, which is susceptible to side winds. This invention does not incorporate a sustaining flame nor an ignition flame, as does the current invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,246 by Sasada et al. describes a heating apparatus comprising a burner body with an air-fuel mixture chamber and a burner cap with a plurality of flame ports, a top plate and a trivet on the top plate. The heating apparatus was designed to allow the apparatus to continue operating after liquid is spilled on the burner, but makes no allowance for side winds affecting the apparatus. Also, this burner design differs from the current invention in that it has a main flame ring and a separate inner flame versus the main flame ring, supporting flame ring and ignition flame of the current invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,357 by Riehl dated Jul. 12, 1994 shows a burner construction and a method of making the burner. The burner construction consists of a burner body with a chamber therein and a cap closing one end of the burner body. The burner body has an annular surface interrupted by a plurality of radially disposed grooves. This construction, however, does not reveal or teach a narrow annular ring between the burner base and the flame ring to create a flame ring, as in the current invention. Nor does it show the main flame, supporting flame and ignition flame of the current invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,263 by Gerdes et. al. dated Apr. 11, 1995 discloses a sealed gas burner assembly having a ring portion that sits on the main top portion around the periphery of the main top aperture through which the burner extends. The ring portion forms a tight seal with the main top to prevent liquids from running down through the burner assembly in the main top. A burner body and a cap supported by the burner body form a chamber which receives a mixture of gas and air. The gas/air mixture issues from ports in the side wall of the burner body, where it is ignited to produce a cooking flame. The construction of this burner is considerably different from the current invention in that it lacks a burner head and uses it""s flame to heat a main top, instead of directly heating a pot or pan from the flames. Also, this invention is for use on a gas range and, once again, does not reveal the main flame, sustaining flame and ignition flame system of the current invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,004 by Maughan dated Nov. 7, 1995 reveals an atmospheric gas burner having a diffusion pilot. Unlike the current invention, which mixes air and fuel to create a pilot flame, the Maughan invention directs a small portion of the total fuel to the burner, without air. Atmospheric air mixes with the fuel allowing the flame to withstand a high drop in air pressure. Also, this invention does not reveal a burner base, a main flame ring, a sustaining flame ring, an ignition flame, an ignition electrode and a burner cap to protect a flame ring from side winds. The current invention mixes the air/fuel mixture inside a distribution chamber before igniting the respective flames versus the Maughan invention which mixes the air/fuel outside of the burner assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,681, also by Maughan (supra, U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,004) dated May 4, 1999 shows an atmospheric gas burner assembly for connection to a source of gas comprising a burner body with a sidewall and a main gas conduit. The main gas conduit has a burner throat and the sidewall has a top surface with a plurality of sidewall islands with a plurality of opposing ridges defining a plurality of carryover slots between the opposing ridges, the top surface and a burner cap. The plurality of carryover slots reduce the velocity of an air/fuel mixture and allegedly produce low velocity, stable flame. As noted above (U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,004) this invention does not reveal a burner base, a main flame ring, a sustaining flame ring, an ignition flame, an ignition electrode and a burner cap to protect a flame ring from side winds. Again, the current invention mixes the air/fuel mixture inside a distribution chamber before igniting the respective flames, whereas the Maughan invention mixes the air/fuel outside of the burner assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,860 by Massey et al. dated Jul. 20, 1999 describes a thickwall gas burner assembly. The gas burner assembly includes a burner base with and inlet to receive a mixture of gas and air. A burner cap rests on the burner base, defining a burner fuel chamber. The burner cap has a plurality of main burner ports where the air/gas mixture exits and is ignited by a spark ignition assembly. Unlike the current invention which incorporates an annular gap between the burner base and the flame ring in conjunction with the main flame ring, sustaining flame ring and ignition flame system to prevent extinction of the flame ring by a side wind, the Massey invention incorporates an ignition pocket in the burner cap for reigniting captured gas in the event of a side wind or draft. Also, this burner is designed for gas stoves, as opposed to a gas barbeque.
The following description is provided to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor for carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide for an improved adjustable gas pressure regulator.
The present invention offers a solution to the problem as described above under Field of the Invention. The gas quantity of the supporting flame ring is relocated in such a way that the gas quantity is increased by 2 or 3 additional small flames, which blend together in front of an ignitor. The purpose of the ignitor is to achieve ignition of the flame ring, while the centrally located flame provided on the outside of the burner presents no direct connection to the main flame ring or the supporting flame ring.
An ignition flame allows the gas-air mixture necessary for ignition to emerge directly to or adjacent to the ignitor. To prevent the ignition flame from being blown away, due to a slight side wind or draft of air, one or more holes are bored into the lower part of a burner ring, beneath the holes for the ignition flame. These holes increase the quantity of the flammable gas-air mixture in the area of the ignition flame and thus increases the gas quantity to the supporting flame ring adjacent to the ignition flame.
Above the ignition flame, both a main flame ring and the supporting flame ring are ignited, since the ignition flame comes in contact with the air/gas mixtures coming from the main flame ring and the supporting flame ring, respectively.